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Practice Secrets

Book Review: The Art of Virtuosity by Philip Hii

April 23, 2019 by azsamadlessons Leave a Comment

Philip Hi teaches classical guitar at Del Mar College in Corpus Cristi & is also an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University/Corpus Christi. An accomplished and experienced concert classical guitarist, he has performed in the United States, Mexico, Germany, and New Zealand. In addition to his concert performances and teaching, he has also released 3 CDs and written some amazing books including this one, The Art of Virtuosity. This book is part of a series of books of the same name.

This beautifully written 40-page book shares Philip Hi’s 6 key principles and 3 virtuoso reality principles that are the basis for virtuosity. His writing style is simple and clear, making it accessible for many. Philip keeps jargons at a minimum and makes sure that the principles can be applied to any instrument. According to Philip, these principles are what he lives and teaches.

Philip explains:

The AOV is a simple book.

It presents the foundations of virtuosity in six basic principles and shows you how to apply them to achieve effortless speed, power and precision.

I remember reading this book the first time many years ago when it first was released. It blew my mind then and even now as I read it again (12 years later), it still is a fine work.

In conclusion, this book is an invaluable work for artists. For full time musicians especially performers, this book can help give clarity and focus into your practice. Even though, the book contains no musical examples (notation), the thought process outlined in the book is very helpful and applicable for any instrumentalist.

Pros: Clear and inspiring writing. Elegant presentation and high quality. Purchase of PDF version includes unlimited updates to the version.
Cons: None.
TLDR: For musicians interested to develop their playing to a high level, this concise book will give you a lot of food for thought!

You can get the book here:
https://philiphii.com/aov/

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[Submissions for Review Consideration]

  • Are you an author who wrote a jazz, guitar or music book?
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Please send me a message at azsamad2 at gmail.com with:

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Depending on whether I dig the book/course, I’ll let you know if I do plan to review it!

I cannot guarantee a review for every submission & if I’m not too into it, I may opt not to review it. I mean, it’s better to get a good review that for me to write a bad review just because it’s not a match for the kind of stuff I dig right? :p

NOTE: All reviews reflect my honest personal opinion so be aware that I will point out both cool Pros and Cons that I see in the work. You dig? 🙂

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Guitar Technique, Practice Secrets Tagged With: classical guitar, how to be a virtuoso, how to practice guitar, music practice, musical technique, philip hii, practice secrets, the art of virtuosity, virtuoso musician

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